Shoppers across the Middle East have been hit by a widespread phishing scam by cybercriminals who exploited a surge in online shopping.
More than 400 domains impersonated well-known delivery companies and postal services central to the online buying boom, including 276 intended to con users in the Middle East.
Scammers created sites imitating at least 13 delivery brands, postal operators and public companies from the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Details of the fraud were reported by Singapore-based cybersecurity experts Group-IB, which has a research centre in Dubai.
“In line with the responsible disclosure protocol, Group-IB always does its best to mitigate these threats,” the company said.
“In this case, Group-IB alerted the regional computer emergency response teams of the active phishing domains and continues to monitor the infrastructure for the appearance of new malicious resources exploiting the delivery theme.”
Details of the widespread fraud were revealed by Group-IB, with the latest fraudulent attempt reported as recently as July 14.
Last week, Sharjah Police said household names including Aramex and Emirates Post had been impersonated by hackers, sending customers links to bills via WhatsApp or text message for a small delivery charge of Dh10 ($2.70) and then stealing bank account or card details.
Customers prompted to pay customs fee or tax
Customers awaiting an order may receive an email or a text message from the national postal service requesting payment for a delivery or customs clearance fee.
Following the link from the message, customers are redirected to a phishing page that requests their bank card details to process the payment.
As soon as the customer submits the form, the sum of the “fee” was deducted from their bank account and transferred to cybercriminals, along with their bank card details.
Sophisticated frauds were localised to add a veneer of authenticity, with one UAE user reporting the local postal brand and currency was used.
Cybercriminals also used a method to bypass One Time Password verification through a technique called “Man-in-the-Middle”.
With this technique, card data entered on the phishing website by a victim is manually or automatically inserted into the real website by the scammers to initiate a transaction.
When victim subsequently enters the One Time Password on the phishing page, the “fee” is instead transferred to the cybercriminals’ bank account.
In March, online shopping website dubizzle issued a warning to its customers to be on alert for fake messages from them as well as Emirates Post.
“Over the last few weeks, many scammers have been contacting advertisers on dubizzle with offers to deliver goods through Emirates Post,” the email said.
“Please beware of such messages and do not engage in any kind of transactions unless you already have the product in hand if you’re buying or have received the value of the product you’re selling.
“We do not engage with our users on WhatsApp with random numbers. If you receive such a message with a random number, block that number immediately and report it to us.”
The site encouraged users to safeguard themselves by using dubizzle Chat to hold conversations with prospective buyers and sellers.
Tips to stop fraudsters
- Users are advised to stay vigilant when clicking on links from emails or text messages, regardless of the sender.
- Users should only employ official websites to track their packages, which also include the contact details of customer support teams.
- Usually, legitimate delivery companies do not send payment requests by text message or email.
- Shortened URLs and long chains of redirects are red flags. Do not click on such links and do not enter sensitive information unless you are 100 per cent confident that the website you are dealing with is legitimate.
- Have a dedicated disposable virtual card with predetermined limits for safe online shopping so that, if it is compromised, the scammers will not be able to access your savings.
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
